Who is on Mike Budenholzer's coaching staff so far? And who might be next to join the Phoenix Suns as an assistant coach? Let's take a look at the candidates.

-Gerald Bourguet

What we know about Mike Budenholzer's coaching staff so far...and a few assistants who could join the Suns next

Mike Budenholzer was officially introduced as the new head coach of the Phoenix Suns two weeks ago, and he's likely spent that time trying to assemble his coaching staff for next season.

Assistant coaches aren't exactly a sexy offseason topic, and trust us, we'd much rather be talking about playoff basketball still. But NBA assistant coaching jobs often provide glimpses of the head coaches of the future, and Budenholzer is a prime example of how important these coaching trees can become.

For starters, Budenholzer spent 17 seasons as a San Antonio Spurs assistant coach under the great Gregg Popovich. And when he got his first head coaching job with the Atlanta Hawks in 2013, he assembled one hell of a coaching staff, including eventual head coaches like Kenny Atkinson, Quin Snyder, Taylor Jenkins and Darvin Ham. The following year, Bud also added Charles Lee, who recently just got hired as the Charlotte Hornets' new head coach.

Jenkins currently serves as the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies and Quin Snyder is at the helm for the Atlanta Hawks, but as Budenholzer continues assembling his new staff, it's worth looking into his past assistants to try and figure out which names could join the Suns' coaching staff next.

Before we get to that, however, let's recap the three assistants who have already agreed to be part of Bud's crew.

David Fizdale

It appears as though David Fizdale will be the only holdover from Frank Vogel's staff. It was initially reported that Fiz was expected to decline an offer from the Suns for a front office position, but at the very least, he'll stay on in a "prominent assistant coaching role," per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Because we're at that point in the offseason, and because of the time Fizdale spent with LeBron James as an assistant coach with the Miami Heat, it didn't take long for speculation about what this could mean for the Suns' potential free agency pursuit of the King to set in.

No, the Suns aren't keeping David Fizdale simply to try and woo LeBron James. It certainly wouldn't hurt if those stars happen to align, but mistaking a perk for the reason Budenholzer wanted Fiz on his staff would be a slight to all that Fizdale brings to the table.

Out of all the coaches on Vogel's staff last year, Fizdale seemed to be the one most willing to hold players accountable. When the Suns were struggling or not playing up to their potential, it was usually Fizdale who was lighting into them on the bench during timeouts.

After a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 3, Bradley Beal recounted how one such exchange went, joking that he couldn't repeat what Fizdale said.

"It was what we needed at the time," Beal said. "He challenged everybody. It was like he punched everybody in the chest. Like, that's what it felt like. He gave us a message we needed to hear, especially, like, he's our defensive guy, so he takes pride in that. If we're effing up his coverages and not doing what we're supposed to do, he's on 10. Rightfully so.”

Obviously there will be concerns about the Suns falling into the same trap as last year, when Kevin Young stayed on as a lead assistant from the prior coaching staff despite not necessarily being Vogel's pick. However, we can probably dismiss those fears for a few key reasons:

Every indication Vogel gave was that Young was an asset to the coaching staff and they got along great, so we don't even know for sure that it was a problem.
Even if it was an issue, Young was a finalist for the Suns job, missed out on it, and then stayed on the staff anyway. That's not the same situation for Fizdale.
Retaining Fizdale sounds like it was Budenholzer's choice, not a verdict from the higher-ups.

Fizdale's straight-forward approach and defensive regimen make him an asset to Budenholzer, as does the fact that he has at least one year of familiarity with this team's core players. His influence over Bol Bol, in particular, shed light on Fizdale's coaching style.

“I mean, he's in my face, but it's for the better of myself," Bol said. "So I don't really mind it at all. He's just really helping me. That's really it.”

Bol will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and all the Suns will be able to offer him is a veteran minimum deal. If a larger offer comes in, there's a decent chance Bol leaves, but retaining Fizdale could very well help Phoenix re-sign him, since this was the first year of Bol's career where he showed rotation-level potential on a winning team.

“That's my OG," Bol said of Fizdale. "Pretty much just any time he can help me, whether it's on or off the court, defense, offense, pretty much just gonna pull me to the side and then just coach me up. We've had a pretty good relationship since I've been here.”

Vince Legarza

According to AZ Central's Duane Rankin, the Suns have agreed to add Vince Legarza to Budenholzer's staff.

Legarza was an assistant under Bud during his final year at the helm of the Milwaukee Bucks in 2022-23. He also served as an assistant coach for the Utah Jazz under Quin Snyder -- another former assistant of Budenholzer's -- for four years.

Before working his way up from a video coordinator and player development coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Legarza also served as a player development coach under Bud in Atlanta from 2013-15.

Having that type of background could prove beneficial with some of the Suns' younger players like David Roddy, Nassir Little, Bol Bol (if he re-signs) and any incoming rookies (the Suns have the No. 22 pick in this year's draft).

Chad Forcier

According to Deseret News' Sarah Todd, the Suns are picking up Chad Forcier from the Utah Jazz's coaching staff.

For those who can appreciate a good victory lap, yours truly called this one on Wednesday's PHNX Suns Podcast (around the 37:05 mark)!

With 23 years of experience as an NBA assistant coach, Forcier brings a lot to the table. He spent four seasons under Budenholzer as a Bucks assistant from 2019-23, but he also served as a fellow Spurs assistant alongside Bud for nine years, from 2007-16.

That means he's been on two championship-winning coaching staffs, between the 2014 Spurs and the 2021 Bucks. He's also spent time learning from Rick Carlisle (Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers), Frank Vogel (Orlando Magic), J.B. Bickerstaff (Memphis Grizzlies) and Will Hardy (Utah Jazz).

That's a wealth of knowledge he's been able to share and accumulate over two-plus decades in the league. Between his extensive familiarity with Budenholzer and his background in player development during his time in San Antonio, Forcier should be an asset to this new coaching staff.

Now let's talk about the next names that could be reported as new additions in the near future!

Darvin Ham

Darvin Ham just got fired as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, and if he's unable to secure a head coaching gig (or too impatient to wait for one to open up in the future), it feels like he'd be a logical candidate for Budenholzer to reach out to.

After all, Ham has extensive experience as an assistant under coach Bud, working with him for five seasons in Atlanta and another four right after that in Milwaukee. It was at that point that he was hired by the Lakers, but now that he's been let go, maybe there's a chance he winds up reunited with Budenholzer.

Maybe Ham decides to sit this season out and wait for another head coaching gig, but it sounds like he's open to the possibility of going back to life as an assistant. According to The Athletic's Anthony Slater, Ham had conversations with the Golden State Warriors about joining their coaching staff. Those talks aren't "expected to materialize," but if Ham is open to an assistant gig, perhaps Phoenix could be his next landing spot.

We'll leave the rampant speculation about what that would mean for a potential LeBron James signing for another day.

Kenny Atkinson

True enough, Kenny Atkinson has paid enough dues to be ready for another shot at a head coaching gig. The former Brooklyn Nets head coach is reportedly in the running for the Cleveland Cavaliers vacancy:

However, if the Cavs conduct their "expansive interview process" and decide that Atkinson isn't their guy, Budenholzer should reach out immediately. They've got plenty of familiarity, as Atkinson served as an assistant for the Hawks from 2013-16, at which point his career launched him to the head coaching job in Brooklyn.

Atkinson was there for four seasons on Nets teams that were better than expected before the arrival of multiple superstars ultimately forced him out. And to be fair, losing the support of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving that quickly may not bode well for him here in Phoenix now that Durant is in the Valley.

But there's a big difference between being incompatible with a head coach compared to an assistant, and Atkinson is a coach who likes to play fast and put up a lot of 3s -- traits the Suns need to embrace. After the Nets, Atkinson spent a year on the LA Clippers staff under Tyronn Lue, followed by three years with the Warriors under Steve Kerr. He understands how to help NBA superstars reach their full potential on offense.

There's a decent chance Atkinson winds up winning the Cavaliers job, but if he doesn't, Budenholzer should give one of his old assistants a call.

Ben Sullivan

Now we get into the less familiar names! Ben Sullivan spent six combined seasons under Budenholzer between the Hawks (2014-17) and Bucks (2018-21). In 2021, he left for the Boston Celtics to coach under Ime Udoka, and ultimately followed him to the Houston Rockets last year.

Sullivan's loyalty to Udoka makes sense, since it was Udoka's recommendation that got Sullivan his job as a video intern with the Spurs back in 2012. He ultimately worked his way into a player development role, where he learned under the great Chip Engelland, who is widely regarded as one of the best shooting coaches in the NBA.

However, Sullivan's roots with Budenholzer go back pretty deep too, since his time in San Antonio introduced him to Bud as a fellow Spurs assistant. Sullivan left with Budenholzer when Bud first got the Hawks job, so there's plenty of history there as well.

Sullivan has been quick to point out that he's far more than just a shooting coach, but working with Engelland, working with Pop, working with Bud, and now working with Udoka has set him up as one of the better, under-the-radar additions to any coaching staff in the league.

Patrick St. Andrews

Patrick St. Andrews spent one season under Budenholzer with the Hawks (2017-18) and then followed him to Milwaukee for the next five years (2018-23). Once again, these coaching trees run deep, since he spent last season with the Grizzlies under Taylor Jenkins -- another former Hawks assistant under Bud.

Like some of the other candidates on this list, that calls into question whether he'd be willing to leave Jenkins' staff for Phoenix, but his time in Milwaukee saw St. Andrews well-regarded as an offensive-minded guy who helped role players find their place on star-studded rosters.

"It’s what he brings to the culture side, what he brings to the players,” Thanasis Antetokounmpo told Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “Individually to the players, not just the offense. He gets you ready.”

In Memphis, St. Andrews typically worked with wings. Assuming the Suns are able to bolster their wing depth this summer, he could be a big help in readying the guys behind Kevin Durant.

A few others

Let's wrap up with a few more assistant candidates that could make sense in Phoenix:

Vin Baker -- A former star for the Bucks and Seattle SuperSonics, Baker has spent the last six years as an assistant coach in Milwaukee. That included the first five years being under Budenholzer, but Baker also stuck around on the coaching staffs for both Adrian Griffin and Doc Rivers. Maybe now that Bud has a job again Baker would be willing to consider coaching somewhere else?

DeMarre Carroll -- Not only did Carroll play for Budenholzer for two seasons as a Hawks player, but he also worked under him as an assistant coach in Milwaukee during the 2022-23 season. Once Budenholzer was fired there, Carroll joined Darvin Ham's coaching staff in LA. Now that Ham and all his assistants have been fired by the Lakers, Carroll could be looking for his next gig.

Josh Oppenheimer -- Any interest in the assistant coach who helped Giannis Antetokounmpo develop? Thought that might get your attention. Oppenheimer spent four seasons in Milwaukee (2020-24), but was recently let go from Doc Rivers' staff. Before that, he spent two years in Houston as an assistant (2016-18), and he was a Bucks assistant before that as well (2013-16).

Mike Dunlap -- The 67-year-old coach worked under Budenholzer for three years in Milwaukee (2020-23), but he was recently hired as the head coach of the men's basketball team at Colorado Mesa University, a Division II school. So he's probably out for the time being, but maybe we'll circle back in a year or two.